London, 16 April 2015 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has today downgraded the
issuer and senior unsecured ratings of Electricite de France (EDF) to
A1 from Aa3 and the ratings of its perpetual junior subordinated notes
to Baa1 from A3. Concurrently, Moody's has affirmed the group's
Prime-1 short-term ratings. Moody's has also downgraded
the issuer rating of EDF's wholly owned subsidiary EDF Trading Limited
to Baa1 from A3. This concludes the review initiated on 20 March
2015. The outlook on all ratings is negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The rating downgrade reflects the risks associated with the transition
of EDF's French power generation and supply activities from a predominantly
regulated cost-reflective tariff model towards an increasing exposure
to market power prices. Moody's notes that this transition
is happening at a time when market prices are low and below the regulated
price for nuclear output (ARENH).
In accordance with the NOME ("Nouvelle Organisation du Marche de l'Electricite")
law, the new tariff formula that was implemented on 1 November 2014
includes a market price component. Furthermore, regulated
tariffs for mid-size and large business customers will cease from
1 January 2016. As a result, the share of domestic electricity
volumes that EDF sells to end-customers under regulated tariffs
will decrease to less than 50% in 2016 from 84% in 2014.
EDF may also face growing competition to retain customers under the remaining
regulated tariffs as power prices below the ARENH price could provide
opportunities for alternative suppliers that can offer unregulated tariffs
to gain market shares.
Today's rating action also takes into account the residual risks
posed by affordability concerns on future tariff evolutions, including
the current tariff deficit borne by EDF under certain public service obligations
("Contribution au Service Public de l'Electricite", CSPE).
The law on energy transition for green growth, which calls for an
increase in the share of renewables to 40% of total domestic electricity
production by 2030, will likely require an increase in customer
bills. Moody's therefore believes that EDF faces the risk
of a growing shortfall in the income it collects to cover its purchase
obligations associated with renewable electricity.
Moody's notes that these increasing risks with regards to EDF's
cash flows come at a time when the group needs to invest significantly
to maintain and upgrade the nuclear fleet in France, which raises
uncertainty over the future recovery of and return on such investments.
The market trends described above will result in a higher business risk
profile and the rating downgrade reflects that EDF cannot mitigate these
pressures with additional financial flexibility resulting in a material
strengthening of credit metrics. Moody's expects that EDF
will demonstrate funds from operations (FFO) to net debt in the high teens
to low twenties in percentage terms and retained cash flow (RCF) to net
debt in the mid to upper teens in percentage terms, which is now
the guidance for the A1 rating level. Moody's notes that
EDF's actual ratios at year-end 2014 of 18% and 14%,
respectively, leave little headroom at the current rating level,
although the rating agency expects that EDF management will make use of
levers including control over costs and investments, working capital
optimization and asset disposals in support of the group's financial
profile.
Given EDF's 84.5% ownership by the Government of France
(Aa1 negative), EDF's A1 rating incorporates a two-notch
uplift from its standalone credit quality or baseline credit assessment
(BCA) of a3 based on the agency's estimate of a high degree of government
support.
RATIONALE FOR RATING DOWNGRADE OF EDF TRADING LIMITED
The downgrade of EDF Trading Limited's rating follows that of its
ultimate parent EDF. EDF Trading Limited's Baa1 rating is
linked to that of EDF, reflecting its strategic importance as EDF's
trading arm and its significant integration into EDF, as evidenced
by the French group's close oversight of the company's trading
activities, risk management and finances, as well as the funding
and liquidity support provided.
RATIONALE FOR THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
The negative outlook primarily reflects the risks associated with EDF's
close relationship with French state-owned nuclear constructor
and service provider Areva S.A. (Areva, not rated),
which is facing a number of operational and financial challenges.
Areva is one of EDF's main suppliers, supplying fuel and equipment
as well as providing services such as fuel management, maintenance,
nuclear reactor design and construction, including the 1.6GW
Flamanville 3 nuclear power plant project in France, which has been
experiencing significant delays and cost overruns.
The negative outlook also factors in the potential effect of the incremental
risks associated with the Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station
project in the UK, whose significant scale and complexity may affect
EDF's business and financial risk profiles should it go ahead.
Finally, the negative outlook takes account of EDF's limited
headroom against Moody's guideline metrics for the A1 rating level,
including FFO to net debt in the high teens to low twenties in percentage
terms and RCF to net debt in the mid to upper teens in percentage terms.
WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING UP/DOWN
Given the current negative outlook, upward rating pressure is unlikely
to arise in the medium term. The outlook could be returned to stable
provided that (1) risks arising from the challenges facing Areva are resolved
without affecting EDF's risk profile; (2) the risks associated
with the HPC project -- should it go ahead -- are adequately
mitigated; and (3) EDF maintains financial ratios well in line with
the guidance above on a permanent basis.
The ratings could be downgraded if (1) EDF were to be negatively affected
either financially or operationally by developments at Areva, including
through potential combinations of activities that expose materially EDF's
balance sheet; (2) the HPC project were to go ahead without its risks
being adequately mitigated; or (3) EDF fails to maintain a financial
profile aligned with the guidance discussed above as a result of a more
challenging operating or regulatory environment than expected.
In addition, negative pressure could be exerted on EDF's ratings
if Moody's were to lower its support estimate as a result of a change
in the company's relationship with the government, or if there
were to be a significant downgrade of France's rating.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodologies used in these ratings were Unregulated Utilities
and Unregulated Power Companies published in October 2014, Government-Related
Issuers published in October 2014, and Trading Companies published
in March 2015. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
Headquartered in Paris, France, Electricite de France is one
of Europe's largest integrated utilities, with reported revenues
of EUR72.9 billion in 2014. It is 84.5% owned
by the French government.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive
rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt,
in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed
prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this rating action, the
associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Paul Marty
Vice President - Senior Analyst
Infrastructure Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Ltd.
One Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London E14 5FA
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
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Monica Merli
MD - Infrastructure Finance
Infrastructure Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456
SUBSCRIBERS: 44 20 7772 5454
Releasing Office:
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Moody's downgrades EDF to A1; negative outlook